[zero21]

The article shares that the M240i was squeezed out due to the M2 arrival and a nice quip about it as highlighted.

In conjunction with the EVO article, I think we may be on to something here bois.

[M2PDX]

Why oh why won't BMW offer an M230i with a 6 speed???

I'd buy that as my daily driver in a heartbeat!

....and an M2 too!

[blueray_ms]

Originally Posted by M2PDX

Why oh why won't BMW offer an M230i with a 6 speed???

I'd buy that as my daily driver in a heartbeat!

....and an M2 too!

I bought a 230i for my wife and even as an auto it is far more engaging than my m340i on the country lanes around me.

Cannot wait for my manual M2 to arrive.

[Kobared]

Hope that I’ll get my car this year despite only putting my order in last month and being #4 in line? I also remember hearing that production for the M2 will be expanded in April. I hope everything works out.

[10"]

Originally Posted by blueray_ms

I bought a 230i for my wife and even as an auto it is far more engaging than my m340i on the country lanes around me.

Cannot wait for my manual M2 to arrive.

Is it better than the F generation 228i? I drove that a few times and thought it totally sucked. Wondering how the current 230 compares to that previous car.

[blueray_ms]

Originally Posted by 10"

Is it better than the F generation 228i? I drove that a few times and thought it totally sucked. Wondering how the current 230 compares to that previous car.

Haven't driven that one but we did have the 220 for a while although to be honest I forget what is was like as have had a z4, m4 and the m340i since. The g42 is a more grown up car and I appreciate the extra power and torque of the 230 over the 220.

The big difference over the m340i is much better turn-in and it doesn't feel as remote to drive either.

The m340i was a big disappointment to me. Very fast, very comfortable but no engagement, hence the realisation I needed to revert back to a manual so I could enjoy driving at legal road speeds. Hitting a flappy paddle doesn't do it for me on the road, even in the dct m4.

A manual m340i...now that would be a very different story as would a manual 230!

[Ricochet48]

Doesn't make a lot of sense. The M240i is the sweet spot in my opinion.

A spec'd up 230i Sport is only $8K less than a similarly spec'd M240i (can easily get one to $50K, same as the M240i's base price). You add some weight, but your power goes from ~250hp to a still fairly 'usable' ~400hp.

The jump to the M2 is another $8K (at the very least) and you get ~50hp more (not really usable) with better suspension (too rough for many), nastier looks (to most), but also a more engaging 6MT option.

Just like most things in like the 'middle' option tends to have the best value. If you track 10x a year or absolutely need a 6MT, of course the M2 is the move... If you live where it snows, the M240i xDrive is the move.

[trey100]

The M2 will be sharper, sound meaner, more aggressive styling, and a 6MT makes it worth the $8k easy. The M240 doesn’t make as much sense to me as you don’t get utility with the comfort and less intense personality. An M340 is also less intense but seems a better fit as it carries utility along with being a comfortable car with same power and similar performance.

[M_Power Rob]

Originally Posted by trey100

The M2 will be sharper, sound meaner, more aggressive styling, and a 6MT makes it worth the $8k easy. The M240 doesn’t make as much sense to me as you don’t get utility with the comfort and less intense personality. An M340 is also less intense but seems a better fit as it carries utility along with being a comfortable car with same power and similar performance.

I bought the wife a '23 M240 RWD. I will admit that stock its quick for what it is, especially in individual sport (although not quite as quick as my ECU & TCU tuned S5 at 380hp and 560 tq). If you need the back seat, then its not for you (and of course its the AT).

[donm527]

Originally Posted by trey100

The M2 will be sharper, sound meaner, more aggressive styling, and a 6MT makes it worth the $8k easy. The M240 doesn’t make as much sense to me as you don’t get utility with the comfort and less intense personality. An M340 is also less intense but seems a better fit as it carries utility along with being a comfortable car with same power and similar performance.

The M240i is the sweet spot in the 2 series because you get a car that has shown to have the performance chops to be close to an RS3 and be in the $50k range. You have a car with a proven engine and advertised to go to 60 in 4.1 but in rear world testing show can be half second faster... For 50k range it's a best bang for buck car. A 3 second 0 to 60 car in the 50s.

The 230 even though less powerful engine is a nice car but if you want the sportiness that reviewers have been pleasantly surprised with then you have to add more options like the LSD, wheels, etc that brings it close to base 240i price with many of those options like LSD and wheel options as standard. Thats where it doesn't make as much sense.

You want top of the line model best performing model in series its the M2 no argument but you're going to pay at 10k more in the 60s.

Have to see reviews come out to see how much better it performs than M240i or the competitors like RS3. The styling is a personal thing. There are some things I like about the M2 but some things I don't... That rear bumper is worse than the 240. Neither perfect but I like the 240 front over the M2 with the iPhone notch in the front. Definitely love it has manual option.

Performance for dollar there's not many in the 50k range for M240i. In the 60k range, there are a lot of options like the cross shopping post shows and honestly I'd probably go RS3 over M2. Or an m430i in the 60 range.